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Dental Healthcare for Puppies and Kittens

2010 February 4

dog incisors crossbite crooked teeth

Crossbite in a mixed breed dog.

Dental Healthcare starts as a Puppy and Kitten

No kidding!  Your precious pup or kitten needs to be assessed right from the start for oral health status.  Some life-long problems can be prevented as young as 8 weeks old! read more…

Hidden Horrors: Dog and Cat Dental Dilemnas

2010 February 1

canine 109 tooth root abscess

Half of this tooth is sitting in an abscess. Can you tell which half?

February is National Pet Dental Health Month in the U.S.

Doc Truli declares Earth Pet Dental Health Month. Everyone is welcome to help their pet feel better, look younger, and live longer! The Doc will devote a series of posts all month long just to pet dental health.

Proper dental care adds 2-4 healthy years to a pet’s expected lifespan. And old-age diseases like arthritis delay for 2-4 years, too.

Would you like your Chihuahua to live to be 18, instead of 14? Of course you would!

read more…

How to Bathe a Kitten

2010 January 30
kitten gets her first bath

Kitten gets her first bath, note the soapy tub and the rinse tub

kitten looks for an escape from her first bath

Be sure you firmly and gently hold the kitten. She's looking for a shoulder to...climb!

kitten gets her first bath, still wet

Kitten is still wet from her bath

kitten gently towel dried after her first bath

Kitten is gently towel dried until she fluffs, we changed towels several times

kitten goes to play in the litter box after her first bath
Cats do not require too many baths. But, when you find a kitten on the street and take the little tyke home, you need to bath away the fleas and grime, maybe lice and ticks, too.
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How to Tell If Your Cat is in Pain

2010 January 26
DSH cat hiding her pain

Does this cat look like she's in pain?

Cats Hide Their Pain Exceptionally Well

Holly, a seventeen-year-old domestic short-hair cat came to see me for weight loss and not wanting to eat for 3 days (we call this symptom anorexia in veterinary medicine, but I prefer the term inappetence, because it does not resemble the psychological and physical disease many people suffer by the same name.)

She gradually lost weight over the past 6 months. Holly was 11 pounds in June, and only 5 1/2 pounds when this picture was taken in the hospital.

Holly died the following afternoon.
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How to Tell if Your Dog Secretly Itches

2010 January 20


This little shih tzu pretzeled himself when Doc Truli scratched his tail base.

7 Signs of Canine Discomposure

How can you interpret if your dog itches?

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Cat Skin Allergies

2010 January 14
Liz the allergic domestic long hair cat ignores her veterinarian

Beautiful Liz practices, "If I can't see you, you can't see me at the vet's office."

Sometimes a Cat Itches All the Time!

A beautiful brown-black long-hair tabby kitten stared out of her black Sherpa soft-sided carrier. She hissed. Our formal introduction deteriorated into cajoling and negotiating as I snuck a full physical examination in between angry kitten hisses. My first visit with little Liz ended 20 minutes after our introduction. She was obviously displeased with me. I fell in love with her.
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Yorkshire Terrier Puppy Freezes

2010 January 8

“There’s a lady on the phone. She says her dog is having trouble breathing. Can she bring the dog in now?” my Saturday receptionist asked, phone receiver dangling from her fingers.

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Parsons Russell Terrier Glaucoma

2010 January 5

If you have a Parson’s Russell Terrier (aka Jack, JRT), whether your dog be smooth coat or rough coat, sudden blindness can hit at any time. These terriers are genetically prone to anterior lens luxation.

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Top Ten Breeds Commonly Mistaken for "Pit Bulls"

2009 December 31

It’s not quite the new year, and as I was posting about Scooter’s breed analysis results, I realized that many breeds are mistaken for pit bulls. The general public does not understand or even see the differences in these dogs. Sometimes, the dissimilarity is so wide, a dog lover such as myself (or, probably, as you are reading this, yourself) cannot believe people can’t tell the difference.

You wouldn’t believe the dogs people mistake for pit bulls!

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Top Ten Questions to Save for the "Human" Doctor

2009 December 27

“Doctor, I know you don’t see humans….but…”

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